Sprinklers are widely used in both commercial and residential settings, for instance, to control the irrigation of crops or to maintain the healthy appearance of lawns. Most often, sprinklers are used in outdoor settings, such as in agricultural or other fields, on golf courses, and on residential lawns. As a result of being in an uncontrolled, outdoor environment, sprinklers are exposed to airborne particles, such as pollen, seeds, and bugs, as well as other loose debris, such as dirt and tree bark.
By design, sprinklers have openings to allow water from a pressurized source to be distributed to their surrounding areas. Therefore, it is possible for foreign contaminants to enter the sprinkler housing through the spray head nozzle outlet, especially when water is not flowing. Pop-up sprinklers, in particular, are prone to the entry of foreign contaminants into the sprinkler mechanism.
Pop-up sprinklers are especially susceptible to the entry of foreign contaminants due to the nature of their operation. In a pop-up sprinkler, the spray head nozzle outlet is mounted in a movable casing that travels between a position below the surface of the ground and a position above the ground. When the sprinkler is turned off, the spray head may be retracted below the surface of the ground so that the ground is generally flush with or close to the top of the spray head. When the sprinkler is in operation, the spray head moves to a position above the ground to distribute water to the surrounding areas. As a result of this motion, dirt and other particles around the sprinkler housing may become disturbed, making it more likely that these particles will gain entry into the sprinkler.
Once the foreign contaminants are inside the sprinkler, they may disrupt its operation. For example, many sprinklers have a rotary drive mechanism. Particles of dirt may prevent the rotary drive mechanism of a sprinkler from properly rotating the spray head, or may even damage the drive mechanism. Such a malfunction or damage caused by the entry of foreign contaminants would mostly likely require the sprinkler to be completely removed from the ground and either replaced or repaired, costing time and energy and potentially disrupting the entire irrigation scheme of the area being watered.
Accordingly, there is a need for a sprinkler with improved resistance to the entry of foreign contaminants or particulate matter.